Planting seeds of hope throughout our world through sharing photography and thoughts on teaching, cooking, and life transitions.

Tag Archives: Nature Photography

I came across a Jewish Proverb that says, “A mother understands what a child does not say.” Now that I’m a mother with a baby boy bouncing around inside of me (he woke me up this morning with his tap-dancing), I’m understanding this saying in a deeper way. I can sense a little of what my boy is feeling from his motions, kicks, and hickups; I’m excited to see his face and be able to read what is going on with him through his eyes and actions when he is outside the womb.

Seeing these foot-wide lily pads made me want to be as light as a frog so that I could stand on them among the blooms! Today my family and I visited a botanical garden where we marveled at how God designed these magical water lilies.

Today I wished I could be a frog…what amphibian would you like to be? 🐸

When I want to buy nectarines in Illinois, Stephen says, “Those nectarines are like cardboard! You cannot beat the nectarines my parents grow.” We planned our visit to California this summer partly because to be here when the nectarines are ripe. We succeeded!!
The dusty smell of nectarines fills the beck yard of my in-laws–I love how California smells. My husband was right when he said, “These California nectarines are the BEST….you have to eat them over the sink because the juice just runs down your hand.” Today my husband found one of those nectarines, and he shared it with me over the kitchen sink. We might have to come back every summer from here on out!
-Mary Hope
Copyright 2017

Last summer I snapped this photo and wrote these words under it: “Dream big!” I felt those words connected with this photo because of the sunflower was over 10 feet tall! Later that day I applied to the teaching job that I landed the next week. Sometimes nature gives us the inspiration we need to push ahead. I’m glad I’ve been able to be a teacher again!

I love the cheerful “lioness” of dandelions. I know a lot of people hate the pesky flowers that voluntarily sprout in their lawns, but I grew up in the country where we did not need to pull them up; that means I like popping off their heads and blowing the wispy seedpods to spread their seeds.